Networking to Support Your Treatment Center
If you own or manage a substance abuse treatment facility or work in addiction medicine, you must be constantly mindful when it comes to growing your network. Growing your network – no, not your client network – but instead strengthening ties with other owners, managers, and industry insiders and professionals can keep you in the loop on the latest advances in treatment and industry trends and might just give you a head start on the “next big thing” in the substance abuse treatment industry.
So, what’s the best way to grow your network of professionals in behavioral addictions and addictive disorders? Well, the local organizations might not be the friendliest places to look for a mutually beneficial relationship. After all, competition is stiff, and unfortunately, many substance use clinics will not even give other local organizations the time of day for fear of client hawking and other underhanded tactics.
In this article, we’ll break down what you can expect from an addiction medicine conference, who puts them on, and where you can go this summer and beyond to find the most significant get-togethers.
First, let’s take a look at what to expect when attending an addiction medicine conference if you’ve never been.
Addiction Medicine National Conference Information
To reap the rewards of gaining contacts within the addiction treatment industry, it’s better if you go straight to the source – addiction conferences.
Each year, different organizations and research society alumni host massive annual educational conference events, discussing everything from advances in substance use disorders and different treatment modalities prevention research, and general observations from some of the biggest mental health professionals on trends in the industry.
So what should you expect from an addiction medicine conference? Well, first, an addiction medicine conference happens in one of two ways:
- In-person
- Virtual/Remote
Because a virtual/remote addiction medicine conference takes place from your couch and generally isn’t as enriching, and since you don’t have much of a chance to make new contacts, we’ll skip these. Pick and choose at your leisure. This isn’t to say you won’t find excellent information at these – because you will.
But for the sake of harvesting long-term industry relationships, you’re going to have to hit a national conference or two, and this means hitting the road.
The Thrill and Rewards of Attending Conferences in Person
Next, attending an addiction treatment conference will be either a single-day or multiple-day event. Single-day events aren’t as complicated – you show up and go home on the same day. If you’re traveling out of state, just make sure you book ahead to get the lowest airfare available. There won’t be much in the way of daily planning because you’ll take everything in on the same day – pretty easy.
However, with multiple-day events, you’ll need some planning skills if you want to make the most out of any given substance abuse conference.
Multi-Day Substance Abuse Conferences: Planning
When you find an addiction medicine conference that piques your interest and takes place over multiple days, the first thing you should do is book your accommodations. Get your airline travel in order, in addition to where you’ll be lodging. You’ll find that many of the websites that list these events have pre-packaged options put together that include airfare, hotel, and even meal options.
You’ll need to find out if the hotel you’re staying out takes a shuttle to and from the addiction medicine conference. If you’re lucky, you might just snag a room at the hotel that’s hosting the conference but don’t hold your breath. These places sell out months and sometimes over a year in advance.
Next, you’ll need to get ahold of a schedule. Some events are completely linear, meaning that there’s only one area for speakers and one set schedule. This means you’ll be able to catch every speaker at the event and not have to worry about any overlaps.
Strategizing to Attend the Sessions That Matter to You
However, in the case of some of the larger addiction treatment conferences, some have multiple conference rooms or stages for guests to speak on. During these events, you’ll need to pick and choose which seminars you want to attend.
Which speakers interest you the most? What topics are you interested in hearing about? Are there some that pertain more to your organization specifically? Study the schedule and pick the seminars that will provide you with the most value.
Now that you know ‘the how,’ we’ve got the when and where of addiction medicine conferences from now until winter. These should be more than enough to keep you busy and expand your list of networking mental health professionals!
When and Where: Addiction Conferences for the Remainder of 2024
With our constantly updated resources here are the remaining conferences to attend in 2024.
As a side note, we did list some virtual events, as they are valuable in the grand scheme of things and for certain training types and certifications.
October 29 to Nov 2nd, 2024 | Psych Congress 2024
The Psych Congress has made it a tradition over the last 35 years to get together for this conference annually, inviting some of the major names and figures in the world of psychiatry. This year it will be held in Boston, MA.
Everything is discussed here from changes in the industry, advances for practitioners and businesses, new techniques, and challenges that are stopping positive change and advancements from happening in the industry.
Cutting-edge treatment strategies are presented and case studies are laid out, giving everyone in attendance a direct glimpse at some of the new trends coming down the pike in the field of psychology.
October 18-23, 2024 | NAADAC Annual Conference
This is another major annual event hosted by the NAADAC or National Association for Addiction Professionals. This could be the major event that most in the substance use industry strive to take part in and is held in Washington DC for 2024.
Everything takes place here, from updates on the newest trends, challenges facing the industry, and opportunities for new learning from some of the brightest in the industry.
November 8-10, 2024 | The East Coast Symposium
Formerly known as NCAD East, the East Coast Symposium 2024 will be held at the Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. With speakers and events organized by Healthcare Made Practical (HMP) Global, this is part of the ongoing series that also includes the Rocky Mountain Symposium, West Coast Symposium, and Cape Cod Symposium.
The East Coast Symposium is a leading educational conference for addiction treatment and behavioral health professionals. The conference covers topics such as medication-assisted treatment, core clinical issues, operations management, revenue cycle management, alcohol and drug rehab marketing, and best practices for behavioral healthcare businesses.
October 26 to 28, 2023 | American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting
This year’s APHA conference in Minnesota provides one of the best opportunities for networking across the country if that’s what your sole focus is.
This three-day event includes anybody and everybody from the American Public Health Association, including many state-run and independent substance abuse treatment facilities and state-provided behavioral health programs.
There is a ton of knowledge and some extremely valuable resources at this conference – it’s not one to miss.
Dec 8-11, 2024 | American College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2024 Annual Meeting
If you’re interested in the field of psychotropic drugs and experimental practices using different medicinal practices for substance abuse and other behavioral and mental health issues, this isn’t a conference you want to skip. This conference highlights everything involved with drug and brain behavior patterns and dynamics and includes some of the most esteemed professionals and the latest scientific research from across the industry.
What’s so amazing about this conference is that it presents some of the newest advancements in the field of psychopharmacology – so new, in fact, that most of them are unpublished. You literally obtain a first-hand, first-time look at clinical trials and some of the most cutting-edge, breakthrough advancements in this industry.
Still to Come in 2024 | The TCIV West
An ongoing conference that takes place twice a year, is the Treatment Center and Investment Valuation Retreat or TCIV.
Both for owners and clinicians, other than for the face value of looking at market trends, this conference also offers a supplement to credentials needed by ASAM, this can be a valuable opportunity for the right CEU credits.
This year’s conference is held in Scottsdale, Arizona, from December 9th to 11th, with the TCIV East coming in March of 2025 to Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Additional Conferences at Home and Abroad
You’ll notice a growing number of treatment centers as well as conferences held in foreign countries – this is something you might want to capitalize on.
Although addiction medicine is constantly progressing and reaching new heights and levels of success, it’s productive and advantageous to obtain a picture of what’s going on regarding substance abuse treatment in different nations.
Comparing and contrasting their ways and ours can be fascinating, and there’s plenty to be learned and studied, leading to breakthroughs in the way you handle your organization.
In addition, networking completed overseas will lead to some of the most enriching relationships you could experience, as not many people get to leverage the power of these types of friendships and potentially attract international referrals and foster truly global connections.
Ads Up Marketing and Networking Opportunities
At Ads Up Marketing, we work with a variety of different individuals and organizations throughout the country – and we believe that’s one of the greatest things we have to offer potential clients.
By establishing such a rich collection of different clients and partners, we’re able to help industry professionals and owners by introducing them to those who might provide assistance and insight into what you’re trying to accomplish at your organization.
To find out more about the services and benefits we can offer you, you could wait until we run into you at one of the many conferences we attend each year. But why wait to drive results and make the connections that matter for the success of your addiction treatment center?
Instead, contact us today and get a complimentary consultation to see where your facility stands and how it can grow even stronger!
Free Digital Marketing Analysis
